Intermittent fasting can seem daunting to beginners, and some may wonder if long periods without food will be sustainable and compatible with their lifestyle, or that they will feel very hungry during fasting periods.
The good news is that there are many different types of intermittent fasting, so if you are looking for a plan that you can choose the one that best suits your lifestyle, one should consider what they hope to achieve through intermittent fasting. , in terms of seeing an improvement in sleep quality or perhaps hoping to lose weight. This can influence the type of intermittent fasting plan he chooses, as some types have greater amounts of research behind them.
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Live Science reviewed expert opinions to provide a comprehensive guide to intermittent fasting for beginners, along with some helpful tips to consider when making major changes to your diet.
“One of the main ways intermittent fasting can help is by driving a process called ketosis. Ketosis is where the body burns ketones instead of glucose for energy,” said Dr. Nersa Kumaran, medical director and founder of the Elemental Health Clinic. .Health benefits of ketosis have been reported, such as improved metabolism and reduced inflammation.”
According to a study in Current Nutritional Reports, ketosis was shown to have a positive trend in weight loss and reversal of cardiovascular syndrome. Ketosis can occur through a “keto diet,” which is a diet low in carbohydrates and high in fat.
The process of ketosis is one of the changes that occur to the body during intermittent fasting. Dr. Kumaran adds: “Other changes taking place in the body include increased levels of growth hormone, which can help with fat loss, muscle gain and improved insulin sensitivity, which means blood sugar is processed quickly and stored fat can be burned for energy and cell repair — it turns out Mitochondria and cells repair themselves through a process called autophagy, in which damaged cells are effectively removed and replaced with new cells.
There are several different types of intermittent fasting, and it may be worth experimenting to see what works for each person. If a person’s daily schedule is somewhat flexible, they may be able to maintain a more intense fasting style, such as eating restriction or alternate day fasting.
If a person is tied to eating their family meals and working schedules, the 5:2 fasting system will be less disruptive, as they will be able to enjoy family meals 70% of the time and focus on fasting the rest of the time.
The main types of intermittent fasting:
1) The fasting system based on timings: Those who follow this system must eat meals during specific times, for example 20:4, 16:8, 14:10 or 12:12, where the first number represents the number of fasting hours, while the second number represents the number of hours available as a window to eat .
For example with the 16:8 system, a person fasts 16 hours and eats within eight hours. For some people, these timings mean skipping breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but others can choose to skip the evening meal and eat breakfast instead. The 14:10 and 12:12 fasts are best for those new to intermittent fasting, as they are less restrictive in terms of when to eat.
2) Siam 5:2 A follower can eat normally five days a week, but on two non-consecutive days he should consume between 500 and 600 calories a day.
3) There is a system Fasting one meal a daywhich allows a person to eat all of their calories and nutrition by eating just one meal.
4) System Alternating day fasting It is also a method of fasting based on fasting on certain days during the week. For example, if a person chooses to fast on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays in one week, they can eat normally on the days in between, and so the pattern continues.
A review in Nutrition Reviews suggests that intermittent fasting can be effective in reducing body weight in people of all sizes, with most studies focusing on alternate day fasting or all-day fasting trials.
It should be noted that some types of intermittent fasting are more suitable for men than women. Intermittent fasting for women requires a slightly different approach due to differences in a woman’s hormonal makeup throughout the menstrual cycle.
Cases that require specialist supervision
A study, published in the annual journal Nutrition, finds that time windows used for intermittent fasting can affect sleep and general health, as parts of the internal biological clock are often triggered by nutrition, as well as the amount of light a person sees, which can have Positive effects on the heart, blood vessels and the healing of the body, while eating.
Dr. Kumaran also recommends that intermittent fasting should be used with caution if a person has underlying health conditions, although she notes that it can be done under the supervision of a medical professional or nutritionist.
“There are many medical conditions where it can be safe for her to intermittently fast under the supervision of a qualified medical professional, such as those with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and even some types of cancer,” says Dr. Kumaran.